Insulated building block



l Allg 15, 1950" J. B. PuRlNToN l 2,518,640

INSULATED BUILDING BLOCK Filed Jan. l1, 1946 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 A tto meys Aug. 15, 1950 .1.B. PURINTON v l 2,518,640

INSULATED BUILDING BLoK Filed Jan. 11, 194e `2 sheets-sheet 2 'f Z0 @wlw Q/ 4g 1g y /Z/ Inventor Attorneys Patented ug. 15, 1950 V 2,518,640 y INSULTED Bonomo-BLOCK Jona n.--Purinion, Cumberland, Md.

Application January l11, 1946, serial No. 640,514

- 1 This invention relates generally to composite insulation unitsl suitable for user in building walls and partitions, refrigeration and frozen storage units and structures, heat vprocessing rooms, sound regulating' rooms,l and the like.

More specifically, the' present invention'vis-directed to insulated building blocks and wall'constructions formed therefrom. Y

It is generally known that concrete, brick and the like building materials have low insulation values and that heat and moisture will pass through solid portions of cored blocks where the outer andinner walls conjoin with webs, particularly incorn'ersof walls Where provisions have not been made for a continuous and protected yinsulation ller.

Frequently, for the purpose of insulating masonry walls, the insulation material is blown into the open cells after the wall is completed,l or the insulation material is placed loosely in the open cores as the blocks are laid 'on the wall or openly fitted between the vwebs and through the cores thereof.

It is also usually the custom to attach wood iurring strips to the blocks onthe inner side of masonry walls to receive the plaster Awhich thu's forms the innermost or finished wall.

In accordance with the arrangement 'of the lpresent invention, Aa composite insulated building block or Vunit is provided with a central mat or mattress of a suitable insulating 'material such, for example, as mineral. woolwhich is planked or blanketed ony each' side with a vaporA barrier formed of a thinl flexiblek 'sheet of metal, cello'- phane or moisture-proof'buildingfpap'en Blocks of cement or plastic materials" -are molded or otherwise formed adjacent the vapor' barriers and the composite unit"securedtogetherby means of lateral tie-bars ortie-arms which extendthrough the mat and barriers and are anchored tothe blocks by being molded therein. The` outer or weather face of the unit is indented or otherwise yformed according to a predetermined pattern during the molding process tolsimul'ate' a plural'i'tywof bricks 'or cast stones. with mortared joints or pointing therebetween.

The unit or'block thus constructed may' also readily belformed in right Vangular or other bends due to the iiexibl'e character'of the components thereof andthe yease withl which molds may be provided to form the cement or plasticblocl Vcomponents associated with' the bent mat and barriers in such case. l

In some-casesit is:desirable to provide atl-iin 'sheet of permeable 'paper-loosely laid against, ad-

3 Claims'. (Cif. 72444) joining and Yparalleling the outer vapor barrier sheet in order topermit moisture to collect in the' small free space' between the plastic or cement block and the paper wherein expansion dus to 'freezing will be tal/zen upby the flexible vapor barrier and the mat and lthereby avoid damage to the block. The paper, for such purposegshoul'd be vadapted to freelypass moisture while at the same time being adapted to prevent green cementfrom `adhering to 'thevapor barrier Sheet'.

It isv a broad object of the present invention, therefore, to provide a new and improved composite insulated building block which may' be used to form a wall construction having a uniform thickness and continuous length of insulation material around the corners and throughout the length thereof.

Another object is to provide an insulated buildingblo'ck for use in forming a wall construction which is vapor-sealed in 'its entirety by reason of overlapping of adjacent insulation `mats and vapor-barriers upon assembly of the blocks.

Another object is to provide an insulated building block which will not be damaged due to expansion upon freezing of accumulated moisture Within the block. f

A further object is to provide an insulated block to which plaster may be applied directly.

Astill further object is to provide a composite insulated block which may be constructed fof conventional building materials, which will be relatively light in weight, economical to manufacture, and susceptible of multi-Various architectural facial designs.

An additional object is to provide av composite insulated unit which may have a wideield of application for architectural, acoustical, and other industrial purposes and in which the thickness of the insulation mat may be varied readily to provide the desired heat or sound transfer or Vexchange values.

Still other objects, features and advantages ofthe present invention are those inherent in the novelV construction, combination and arrangement of the parts as wili become clearly ap parent from the` following detailed description of` a preferred embodiment of the invention, reference beinghad to the accompanying drawings wherein:

Figure 1 is a perspective view illustrating' the 'rna'nn'er'inl which the several blocks, constructed according to the prefer-red embodiment of the 3 invention, may be laid to form a wall having a door or window frame tted therein.

Figures 2 and 3 are plan views, partly in section, illustrating the construction of straight and corner blocks, respectively.

Figures 4 and 5 are sectional views as seen along the lines 4--4 and 5-5 of Figures 2 and 3, respectively.

Figure 6 is a plan view 0f a mold for a straight block and illustrating the manner of mounting the mat, vapor barriers and paper therein.

Figure 7 is a section taken along the line I-'I of Figure 6.

Figure 8 is a View in elevation of a straight block as viewed on the outer side thereof.

Figure 9 is a view in elevation of a corner block as viewed on the inner side thereof; and

Figure 10 is a plan view of the sub-assembly including the mat, vapor barriers, and anchoring arms.

Referring now to the drawings wherein like characters of reference refer to like parts throughout the several Views, it will be seen that each composite insulated block or unit generally designated I2 for the straight type comprises an elongated rectangular mat I of fibrous mineral Wool or like insulating material which is flanked and held intact by thin flexible vapor-proof sheets or barriers Iii of metal or other material suitable for the purpose. Metal arms i1 having L-shaped ends are passed through the mat and Vapor-proof barriers and are extended laterally to each side thereof, the L-shaped ends of arms I1 being employed to anchor the arms in the cement or plastic blocks I8 and i9 molded adjacent to the vapor-proof barriers.

The numeral 2li generally designates a mold which is suitable for forming the straight blocks i2. The mold comprises a bottom board 2l having a longitudinal groove 22 formed therein to receive mat I5 and barrier plates I6 disposed adjacent thereto. A sheet of permeable paper 23 is placed adjacent each barrier plate i6 to prevent adhesion between the vapor barriers and the cement or plastic blocks during the molding process. The mat and vapor barriers divide the mold between the two sides 24 and 25 thereof into two compartments 26 and 2l into which arms i? project. Thus, when end boards 28 and 29 are in place on the mold and the compartments are filled with cement or plastic, the inner and outer blocks I9 and i8 are formed therein after hardening of the molded material and the several components are held together as a unit by the arms I1 which become molded in the blocks.

The portion of the mat and its associated vapor barrier portions which lie within groove 22 of the mold, and also those portions which lie within similar grooves 36 and 3| formed in end boards 28 and 29 respectively, project from the finished block by an amount corresponding substantially to the amount of mortar employed between adjacent blocks when forming a wall. Thus, a complete and continuous insulation and vapor barrier is provided from block to block throughout the entire height and breadth of the wall.

Cleats 32 are provided on side boards 24 to form indents 33 in the finished outer block I8, the indents being formed for the purpose of receiving mortar thereinto, thereby to simulate the pointing in joints between bricks.

It will be readily understood that by making slight changes in mold 29 that a mold may be provided adapted to form therein the corner block generally designated I4. Block I4 may be generally similar to block I 2 except that the mat 34 and Vapor barrier 35 thereof are bent at right angles near one end of the block so as to project outwardly of the inner molded block 36 adjacent the end thereof, the outer molded block 3l being L-shaped on the end thereof adjacent to the bend in the mat and the Vapor barriers. A substantially C-shaped anchoring arm 38 preferably is employed in the corner of block I4 to insure adequate strength at that point, arms I1 other- Wise being employed throughout the length of block I4 which in other respects also is similar to straight block I2.

Blocks I2 and I4 are preferably molded to a size that one man can handle and are laid in the wall similarly to the manner in which the usual concrete blocks are laid, the manner of assembly of a wall being illustrated in Figure 1. A frame 40 of a window or door is shown fitted into the blocks, the tongue portion 4! of the frame conveniently occupying the space otherwise fitted by the mat I5 and its associated vapor barriers I6, Mortar 42 is applied between adjacent blocks and is also applied (not shown) in the indents 33 to simulate pointing between adjacent simulated bricks. Plaster 43 is applied directly to the inner faces of the blocks.

From the foregoing it should now be apparent that a building block has been provided which is well adapted to fulll the aforestated objects of the invention. Moreover, it will be understood that, while but a single embodiment of the invention has been described in particularity, changes and modications thereof may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. A composite insulated building block of the character disclosed comprising, in combination, a rectangular mat of insulation material, a pair of thin flexible vapor barrier Sheets formed of moisture-proof material and disposed adjacent to said mat 0n opposite sides thereof coextensive therewith, a pair of thin sheets of moisture permeable material respectively disposed adjacent the outer surfaces of said vapor barrier sheets, a pair of facing members respectively molded adjacent lto the outer surfaces of said pair of moisture permeable sheets, and a plurality of anchoring members projected laterally through said mat, vapor barrier sheets, and moisture permeable sheets and having end portions respectively embedded in said facing members for permanently binding the mat, vapor barrier sheets, moisture permeable sheets, and facing members 'together as a unit.

2. An insulated wall structure of the character disclosed comprising, in combination, a plurality of pairs of molded inner and outer facing members respectively mortared together to form continuous inner and outer walls, a plurality of rectangular mats of insulation interposed respectively between each pair of said inner and outer facing members and in abutting relation with res ect to each other thereby to form a continuousV insulation mat between said inner and outer walls, a plurality of pairs of thin flexible vapor barrier sheets individual to said plurality of mats and respectively disposed adjacent opposite sides thereof and coeXtensive therewith thereby to form continuous inner and outer vapor barriers for said continuous mat, a plurality of pairs of thin sheets of moisture permeable material individual to said pairs 'of inner and outer facing members and disposed adjacent the inner surfaces thereof, and a plurality of anchoring arm members for each pair of said inner and outer facing members and having their ends embedded respectively therein thereby to bind each pair of inner and outer facing members and the mat, vapor barrier sheets, and moisture permeable sheets individual thereto together as a permanent unit.

3. A composite insulated building corner block of the character disclosed having an angle portion and comprising, in combination, a rectangular mat of insulation material, a pair of thin flexible vapor barrier sheets formed of moistureproof material and disposed adjacent to said mat on opposite sides thereof and coextensive therewith, said mat and vapor barrier sheets being bent as a unit at an angle to form said angle portion of said corner block, a pair of thin sheets of moisture permeable material respectively disposed adjacent the outer surfaces of said vapor barrier sheets, a pair of facing members respectively molded adjacent to the outer surfaces of said moisture permeable sheets, and a Iplurality of C- shaped anchoring arms projected v laterally through said mat, vapor barrier sheets, and moisture permeable sheets and having end portions respectively embedded in said facing members, one of said C-shaped arms having portions thereof respectively projected laterally through the legs forming said angle portion thereby to strengthen the corner block in the angle portion thereof, JOHN B. PURINTON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

